Apple on Monday was hit by a US Labor Board ruling on whether or not the company was illegally interrogating its employees about unionization activities. In that case, the board agreed that Apple had indeed been coercively interrogating its retail staff in New York City.
Apple illegally interrogated its retail employees over unionization
As reported by Bloomberg, Apple illegally interrogated its retail staff at the World Trade Center store in New York City. The ruling was made by a trio of Democratic-appointed members of the National Labor Relations Board, who agreed with the findings of an administrative judge.
The US Labor Board had filed a complaint against Apple back in 2022. A representative of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) claimed that the company “interrogated staff, restricted the posting of union fliers and required employees to attend mandatory anti-union speeches” at its World Trade Center store in NYC.
This is the first decision against Apple by the NLRB’s members. However, the agency “lacks authority to impose punitive damages or hold executives personally liable for violations.”
Apple has been facing many of its retail employees organizing to unionize. Last month, 104 employees at Apple Short Hills in New Jersey petitioned to unionize and are being represented by the CWA. This was the fifth Apple Store in the US to vote to unionize, joining stores in Oklahoma City, the Maryland town of Towson, Atlanta, and St. Louis.
Apple tried to stop its stores from unionizing
Currently, only two Apple Retail Stores in the US have successfully unionized, while three stores have unionized in the UK. The company has tried in many ways to prevent other stores from unionizing. Apple has held meetings with retail employees to “discuss the risks of unionization” and discourage them from talking to union representatives.
Last year, Apple had to agree to undergo a third-party audit of its labor practices after being accused of illegal anti-union practices. The company has yet to comment on today’s ruling.
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